The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), American Jewish Medical Association (AJMA), the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, StandWithUs (SWU) and the Center for Combating Antisemitism (CCA), Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) welcome guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) making clear that antisemitic discrimination has no place in our nation’s healthcare system.
Jewish and Israeli patients must be able to seek medical care without fearing that their identity will affect the treatment they receive. Jewish medical students, trainees, researchers and healthcare professionals likewise deserve to learn, work and care for patients free from unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. And indeed, all patients deserve care in an environment where healthcare professionals can focus entirely on their wellbeing, without the distraction, disruption, and corrosive effects of bias and hostility in the workplace.
Antisemitism is too often misunderstood, misidentified or inadequately addressed in healthcare settings and beyond. That is why we have consistently urged hospitals and healthcare institutions to explicitly recognize antisemitism in their nondiscrimination policies, establish accessible and trusted systems for reporting incidents, ensure complaints are taken seriously and investigated appropriately, and provide meaningful education about antisemitism and Jewish identity.
Today’s guidance is an important step toward reinforcing those responsibilities. We appreciate HHS OCR making clear that federal civil rights protections extend to discrimination based on actual or perceived Jewish ancestry or ethnic characteristics and Israeli national origin – and that these protections apply across healthcare settings, medical education, clinical training and other covered programs.
No one should face discrimination when seeking care, providing care or pursuing a career in medicine. We welcome HHS’s actions and encourage healthcare institutions across the country to ensure that their policies and practices provide Jewish and Israeli patients, students and professionals the equal protection and inclusion they deserve.
